


A Promise Remembered

by urbaninja



Category: RWBY
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Promises, F/M, Fluff, somewhat canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-05-02 08:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5241533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urbaninja/pseuds/urbaninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this prompt from tsukikoinaba on tumblr:</p><p>AU where Jaune and Pyrrah were childhood friends who made a marriage promise, but Pyrrah moved away, they re-met at Beacon, but only Pyrrah remembered a) the promise, b) even knowing him as a child. aka, the plot of a generic anime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Once Upon A Dream

_“Is it true Pyrrha? Are you really moving away?”_

_Those were the first words out of his mouth when he made it to their special spot. The tiny forest glen hidden from the world by some bushes. You had to know the secret entrance to get in._

_“Are you?” he asked again, his eyes watery as he stared at her, hope in his eyes that she would answer in the negative and take his fears away. All she could do was shake her head, her eyes just as wet._

_“Yeah. My dad got a new job, so we have to go.”_

_“I don’t want you to. Who am I going to be friends with?” He was crying now and hugging her._

_“I don’t want to go either,” she replied, hugging him back._

_“Then you should stay with us. I’m sure my parents won’t mind!”_

_“I don’t think mine would like it,” she pulled away, trying to wipe her eyes. She’d already cried enough over this decision. “I know, let’s make a promise?”_

_“A promise?” he asked, dragging a hand across his nose and sniffing._

_“Yeah. We’ll see each other again, and we’ll come back here someday,” Pyrrha smiled, holding out her pinky._

_“Okay,” his voice was quavering, as if he might burst into tears again, but he extended his pinky and was about to join it to hers, before he stopped. Pyrrha looked at him, confused._

_“I have a better idea,” and his voice had a confidence that wasn’t there before. He ran over to a flowerbed, working quickly and hiding his actions from Pyrrha who had followed him over. After a few minutes he turned to her, holding a small ring made out of a daisy. Very solemnly, he got down on one knee._

_“When we’re older, we’ll see each other again and come back here, and when we do, Pyrrha Nikos, will you marry me?”_

_“Yes!” She said without a second thought, “Yes—“_

And then she woke up. 

She always did at that point, just as she was about to say the boy’s name. She could remember everything about that moment except for his name. The way the sun was flashing through the leaves, the way the breeze blew through, his feathery blond hair, and those bright blue eyes. Everything except his name. 

And it had been twelve years since that day in the forest when she’d made that promise. Pyrrha often wondered if she would ever actually see it fulfilled. Not that she was desperate for it to happen, but at the very least she’d like to remember the boy’s name. They had been close friends in childhood after all; otherwise the memory would not be such a fond one. 

But she had to put that aside for now. After all, today was also a big day. Today she officially started her training to become a huntress at Beacon Academy. It wasn’t a time for childhood daydreams. She got up from her seat where she had been dozing, and moved to a window. In her peripheral vision, she caught a flash and glanced to see a boy bending over a garbage can and smiled sympathetically before returning to gaze down at the academy. 

Her home for the next four years. And who knew, maybe she would run into the boy from her dreams. 

\--

The airship landed and Pyrrha made her way out with the rest of the crowd. She walked with purpose and grace and tried to ignore the stares, gasps, and pointing that came from the people she supposed she would now consider as her classmates. Despite being used to it, Pyrrha was nervous. After all, they knew her by reputation, and she sincerely hoped that that wouldn’t get in the way of her making friends. At her old school, it had gotten in the way of things.

However, those feelings soon dissipated as she made her way into the Beacon courtyard and stared up at the school that was to be her home for the next four years. It was breathtaking really, with the way the pillars curved around and the castle rose up into the sky. She stood there, awestruck, at least until someone barreled into her. 

“Nora!” Pyrrha heard an exasperated voice shout and looked around. Beside her on the ground was a small, red-haired girl with a wide grin on her face. 

“Over here, Ren!” she called, jumping up as if nothing had happened. She turned to Pyrrha. 

“You need to watch wear you’re going!” Ren, Pyrrha assumed, said coming up to them. He was taller than Nora, with black hair that had a pink streak in it. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Pyrrha replied, waving it off. “No harm done.”

“I didn’t mean to run into you,” Nora said, “I just wanted to explore before we have to go in for the introduction or whatever. We were on that airship for so long and I needed to stretch my legs and there’s just so much to see here! It’s way bigger than the town we’re from and I’ve gotta see it all!”

“We’ll have time for that later, Nora. We did just get here,” Ren sighed, but there was a smile on his face and the sense that he felt the same way as Nora. 

“Who are you?” Nora asked, “I’m Nora, if you haven’t figured that out, and he’s Ren.”

“I’m Pyrrha,” She began but then Nora’s eyes started to shine and she was cut off.

“You’re Pyrrha Nikos, aren’t you? This. Is. So. Cool! Ren, we’re gonna be classmates with Pyrrha Nikos! We totally watched you in that tournament last year and you were amazing! It’s so nice to meet we should totally be friends! We can stay up late and paint our nails and talk about cute boys and it’ll be the best! I suppose Ren can come to.”

The last sentence seemed to be tacked on as an afterthought. Pyrrha shook her head and tried to catch up to the speed of Nora’s speech. The other girl stared up at her eagerly and her companion looked like he was about to say something. Pyrrha smiled.

“That…sounds like a lot of fun, Nora. I’d love to have a sleepover sometime, perhaps once we’re all settled.”

“Ren, she totally wants to be our friend this is so cool!” Nora was practically beaming with excitement as she hugged Pyrrha with a ferocity that could only be called a glomp. “C’mon, we need to go get good seats for the opening ceremonies or whatever!” 

She zoomed off, calling for them to follow. Ren waved her on and then turned to Pyrrha.

“I’m sorry. Nora can be a little…energetic at times.”

“It’s fine,” Pyrrha said with a smile. “I look forward to being friends.” 

\--

Pyrrha followed Nora and Ren into the auditorium where the other students had gathered. While she was used to the stares, Nora and Ren clearly weren’t. She smiled warmly at them, as if to say not to worry, a reassurance that she wasn’t going to leave and that seemed to help. 

“Where am I going to find a nice quirky girl to talk to?” 

Pyrrha looked over at the sound of the voice and froze. It was the boy from the ship, the boy who had run for the garbage can, and more importantly, she knew him. He was older, certainly, and taller, but she remembered that blond hair and those blue eyes. It was him. The boy from her dreams. The boy whose name she could not for the life of her remember. 

She wanted to run forward, try and start a conversation and even made it a step before Ren stopped her and pointed to the stage. Two of the Professors, Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch had appeared and were clearly about to address the crowd. Pyrrha kept an eye on the boy’s position, determined to speak with him afterwards and waited anxiously through the speech.

\--

The speech ended and students started to move, making their way to the hall that was to be their sleeping quarters for the night. Tomorrow, they would be split off into partners, and likely assigned dorm rooms from there. 

Pyrrha fought her way through the crowd, trying to keep up with the boy, but she lost him in the surge of people, and defeated, headed to the hall. Maybe she would have a chance to speak with him there. However, upon arriving, she was immediately accosted by Nora, who dragged her over to a section of wall where she and Ren had set up some mattresses.

“I grabbed one for you, I hope that’s alright?” Nora said, hopefully. 

“Thank you, Nora,” Pyrrha replied. “I appreciate being saved a seat.” She sat down on the mattress, and began to take off her armor to get ready for bed. Ren looked like he was about to say something, when a shadow appeared over them.

“Hello,” said the girl pleasantly. She was on the shorter side, with long white hair and a slightly haughty expression, but she was smiling, so what was Pyrrha to do but smile back. She was fairly certain she’d seen this girl before. “My name is Weiss Schnee. I hope you don’t mind me joining you?”

“Of course not! I’m Nora and this is Ren,” Nora jumped in, clearly happy to make new friends. Weiss looked taken aback at the sudden burst of enthusiasm, but maintained her expression.

“I’m—“

“Pyrrha Nikos. I know. I’m so happy to make your acquaintance,” Weiss replied. Pyrrha wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Weiss. You’re the heir to the Schnee Corporation, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. I’m surprised you recognized me.” Though Weiss’s tone suggested that she wasn’t surprised at all, and actually rather pleased.

“You are in the news a lot,” Ren said, causing both of them to look at him. It was the first time he’d spoken in this conversation. “I mean, your family is. I thought you would go to the school in Atlas.”

“I thought about it, but after comparing the different schools, I realized that Beacon was the better choice. At least, that’s what all the surveys say.” And she glanced coldly around the room, her eyes lingering on a few individuals, including one in a blue onesie with bunny feet.

Pyrrha held back a laugh at his pajamas, wondering how odd it would be if she were to get up and go over to him. Likely fairly awkward, so instead she focused on getting herself ready for bed. Weiss was following suite, and looked like she wanted to make more conversation before the announcement came that the lights would be going out soon. 

A ruckus seemed to be starting up near the other wall, and Weiss sighed in frustration.

“Excuse Me,” she said, before getting up to yell at the ones making noise. Pyrrha recognized them from the airship, though she hadn’t gotten their names yet. A short girl with black hair and a taller one with long, blonde hair. Considering their familiarity, she figured they must be friends, or possibly even sisters. 

She lay down as the lights started to go out, smiling at Nora before closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep. It was going to be a big day tomorrow after all. 

But Pyrrha couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive. Would she ever have a chance to talk to the boy from her past? She hoped so. 

At the very least, she’d like to remember his name.


	2. The First Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyrrha and Jaune finally meet, but is Jaune's memory as strong as Pyrrha's?

As was typical for her, Pyrrha woke up early that morning. 

Most of her fellow classmates were still asleep. Weiss had returned from her argument quite annoyed and had gone to bed with a terse “good night” that brooked no tone for argument. Not that there had been much time with the light’s out being called minutes earlier. Nora had fallen asleep shortly after, snoring while not a peep was heard out of Ren. 

Pyrrha was surprised she felt so well rested considering she was in an unfamiliar space and the various sounds made by the other occupants in the room, never mind that today was a big day. She couldn’t tell if she had butterflies in her stomach or if she was just hungry and figured she’d have to find breakfast first to figure that out. 

She packed up her stuff and dressed quietly, trying not to wake Nora or Weiss. Not that it mattered since Nora awoke as she was rolling up the mattress she had slept on. Nora wished Pyrrha a cheerful good morning before going to lean over Ren.

“It’s morning, it’s morning, it’s morning!” she sang as Ren opened his eyes. That seemed to wake Weiss up as well, who flung the blankets away and glared at Nora, who chatted away to Ren, oblivious to the icy stare directed her way.

“I guess that’s one way to deal with everything,” Pyrrha said, smiling. Weiss just sighed in exasperation and got up to get changed. 

Having little else to do, Pyrrha headed towards the cafeteria, where the new students would be fed before having some time to prepare for the initiation. She was hoping to catch the boy, maybe even talk to him, and figure out his identity. However, he was not in the room and therefore, was likely still asleep. Foiled, she got breakfast instead. 

It was awkward, finding a place to sit. She knew the other students were talking about her, or at least that’s what she assumed. After all, people were looking at her and then turning away, but no one had really approached her or looked like they were going to offer an invitation. She didn’t think she was giving off that sort of vibe, since she was just as nervous as any of them. This was different than a tournament after all. They weren’t her rivals, they were her classmates and she hoped they would consider her the same way.

Pyrrha sat down at a table alone. But thankfully that didn’t last long. 

“Do you mind if I join you?” Weiss asked, and Pyrrha shook her head.

“Not at all. Please, sit down,” she replied, smiling. She was about to say more when Ren and Nora quickly joined them. Nora continued to babble away, while Ren quietly ate his pancakes. The annoyed expression from earlier had returned to Weiss’s face and she glared down at her food, gripping her cutlery tightly. 

“So, what do you think we have to look forward to today?” Pyrrha asked when it became clear that Nora wasn’t going to include them in her monologue.

“Well, I’m only really familiar with Atlas’s initiation, which is fairly rigorous and several parts, testing the mental and physical strengths of everyone and determining teams from there,” Weiss explained. “Although, I’ve heard Beacon has very different methods.”

“So have I. I’ve heard that Haven’s is a bit more random, but they’re also a bit more secretive about it.”

“Atlas’s as well,” Weiss said, “Though that may be to scared incoming students.”

“It is a possibility.”

Weiss looked like she was about to say more, when Glynda Goodwitch’s voice came over the loudspeaker, advising students to begin their preparations since they would be starting shortly. 

They would have to continue their conversation another time. Nora, however, soldiered on.

\--

Now that she had eaten, Pyrrha was fairly certain that the fluttering in her stomach was butterflies, though she really couldn’t say why. What made this so different from a tournament? Maybe it was the fact that it wasn’t really a competition. She didn’t have anything to win, except for new teammates. 

Was that it? What if she didn’t get along with her new teammates? What if they didn’t like her? She really hadn’t met a whole lot of people since arriving, and while it would be nice to be on a team with Nora, Ren, and Weiss, would that really be for the best? Pyrrha wished she had thought about it more.

And what about the boy? How would she react if she ended up on his team? What could she even say about that?

“So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought about who’s team you’d like to be on?” asked Weiss, mercifully snapping Pyrrha out of her thoughts.

“Not really,” she replied, “I was just thinking of letting the chips fall where they may.” 

“Well, I was wondering if you might want to be on a team together?” 

“That sounds grand,” Pyrrha replied, trying not to betray the relief she felt. She was about to say more when the boy cut across her.

“You know what else is great,” he said, “Me. Jaune Arc.”

Jaune Arc.

It all came flooding back to her. Jaune. The little boy who stood behind her in the schoolyard, trying not to cry as she yelled at the others who bullied him. His feathery, blond hair and blue eyes that shone when they played in their secret spot. The flower ring that he had proposed to her with.

“Nice to meet you, Jaune,” Pyrrha cut in. Jaune waved her off.

She took a few steps back, not sure how to react to the situation. He didn’t remember her. It hurt but at the same time, should she have expected it? It had been years after all. And until a few moments ago, she didn’t even remember his name.

“Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each,” she heard herself saying. That got Jaune’s attention.

“You don’t say. Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could end up on the winning team.” 

Pyrrha hoped she wasn’t blushing. His eyes were just as blue as she remembered.

“Jaune,” Weiss said, her tone slightly condescending as she came between them. “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

“Not in the slightest, Snow Angel.”

“This is Pyrrha Nikos,” Weiss said smugly.

“Hello again!” While Pyrrha’s heart might have sank a little at Jaune’s lack of recognition (from that or his obvious interest in Weiss she wasn’t sure), but this would just be the opportunity to start over.

Admittedly, it was a surprise to learn to that Jaune hadn’t even heard of her and her accomplishments, embarrassing, as they were to have them listed out like that. But it was nice to know that someone cared about the Pumpkin Pete’s promotion as much as her, regardless of how non-healthy the cereal was. 

“So, after hearing all this, do you really think you’re in a position to ask her to be on your team?” 

“I guess not,” Jaune sighed. 

“Actually, Jaune, I think you’d make a great leader,” Pyrrha replied, and she meant it. She could remember times when they were younger where Jaune would take charge of a situation. Usually it was just telling someone how to do something, or trying to keep their stuffed animals organized in their games, but still, it was the thought that counted, right? 

And the reply did seem to have the desired effect. 

“D’oh, stop it!”

“Please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!”

“Sounds like Pyrrha’s on board for team Jaune,” Jaune began.

Now, maybe it was the fact that Jaune didn’t remember her and maybe it had something to do with the fact that Weiss had been nothing but friendly to her since they met, and maybe Jaune was coming on a little too strong, but when Weiss asked for help, Pyrrha felt that she had to oblige.

“I’m sorry,” she said, a little embarrassed at her actions. “It was nice meeting you.” 

And she meant it. It was nice to have his name again, even if the past no longer seemed to matter. But that just meant she could start again, and then maybe some day in the future bring it up to him. Not the proposal, but the fact that they knew each other as kids. 

Those thoughts would have to be put aside however. It was time to take the next step.

\--

But before we do that, we need to take a few steps back. 

Because the truth of the matter is that Jaune Arc knew exactly who Pyrrha Nikos was. He was well aware of where she had graduated in her class at Sanctum, and had watched every single Mistral regional tournament that she had been part of (cheering her all the way). He had bought more than his fair share of Pumpkin Pete’s Marshmallow Flakes and actually still had a few boxes in his room back home (just the boxes mind, the cereal had long been eaten). 

Yes, Jaune Arc knew exactly who Pyrrha Nikos was and, for the twenty-four hours or so that they’d been at Beacon he’d been quietly freaking out about that knowledge.

But, we’re getting slightly ahead of ourselves.

\--

It went like this.

Jaune Arc boarded the airship to Beacon with apprehension and anxiety. His parents had seen him off at his house and one of his sisters had driven him to the port on her way to work. There had been pride as his father had clapped him on the shoulder and his mother had shed a few tears and his sister had mentioned that she was proud of him, and he had bourn it all with a smile on his face and ignoring the need to break down and exclaim how it was all a lie. 

Never mind the overwhelming sense that this was not going to be a long parting. 

But once he was on the airship, there would be no going back and Jaune was determined to make it to that spot and then let the universe have its way with him. 

Tempting the universe is always a dangerous thing because the moment the doors closed and the engine revved, Jaune Arc laid eyes on Pyrrha Nikos. 

And there was no going back. 

She was dozing in a seat by the window, looking like she had in her last television appearance. Her hair was darker than he remembered it being, and she was taller, but Jaune would know her anywhere. And at once he was seized with the desire to go over and talk to her even if that meant waking her up (but that wouldn’t matter because it was Pyrrha and she never minded, especially for a reunion like this). But then the other half of his brain kicked in. 

Pyrrha was going to Beacon. Just like he was. Pyrrha, who was at the top of her class and had won tournaments and was on a cereal box, was going to Beacon. He had hand-me-down weapons, had never really trained in combat and had barely passing grades, and had lied to even get this far, was going to. Jaune was suddenly aware of the gulf between them, the gulf that likely existed between him and every other person on the airship and was seized with the need to leave immediately. However, the airship was already well on its way by now and Jaune Arc was stuck.

Thanks for nothing, Universe.

Finally finding the ability to move, Jaune fled to the back of the airship and stayed there until the trip was over. As they flew over Vale, he’d dared to look out of the window, but felt suddenly sick (a combination of airsickness and nerves from everything) and had to run for a garbage can. He really hoped that the crowd would hide him and Pyrrha would not see him. What a way for that reunion to go.

Meeting Ruby had been a bit of a boost though. She was almost as awkward as he was, though he was still aware of the gulf that clearly existed between them. He was going to have to work hard at overcoming it. Talking with her and moving into the orientation almost made him forget about Pyrrha for a moment. As had meeting Weiss, even if his introduction hadn’t gone over as well as he’d hoped.

He didn’t sleep much that night, his thoughts whirling about in his head. The initiation tomorrow, partners, teams, Pyrrha, Weiss. Part of him had hoped to be able to say something to either of them before he turned in (maybe a “good night” to Weiss, Dust knew what he was going to say to Pyrrha?), but they had already been talking and he’s chickened out at the last minute.

Jaune had hoped that coming to Beacon would be a chance for him to start over. To prove that he wasn’t the weak kid that everyone thought he was. And now? Now he wasn’t so sure. 

He shook his head and rolled over. That was no way to think. Tomorrow would be another day. Tomorrow, he would ask Weiss if she wanted to be partners with him, or at least be on his team. And maybe, just maybe, he’d figure out what to say to Pyrrha. (Did she even remember him? Or their promise?)

As we already saw, asking Weiss to be on his team failed miserably, his solution to talking to Pyrrha was to play ignorant and the whole thing got him momentarily pinned to the wall by Pyrrha’s spear and the knowledge that no, she did not recognize him. His dad’s advice about confidence was no cushion either, and with those soul-crushing realizations, he dragged himself out to the cliff with Ruby’s help, fairly certain that his career as a Huntsman was going to be a miserable failure before it even began.

\--

Unbeknownst to Jaune, Pyrrha had decided that she was going to prevent that from happening. Maybe not in those exact words, but she had decided that at the very least, she was going to be on Jaune’s team, if not his partner. If Jaune had grown up to be anything like the boy she remembered, locker room conversations aside, Pyrrha knew that he would be great. 

And it would be a good way to start again (but not really). A slightly different relationship, one that was new for both of them (maybe). The past wouldn’t have to matter anymore (except for the parts where it would). 

She was launched into the air.

Jaune followed shortly, screaming at the top of his lungs. 

The first step had been taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To reassure you: This story was always meant to have a happy ending, and given recent events I'm 1000% committed to that. It is also inherently AU, despite it's closeness to canon.
> 
> Also I don't know how Haven's initiation is more random than Ozpin's "fling the students into the air and see what happens" method, but it is.


	3. Shared memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first step is taken, and a partnership is formed. Though both parties are a little reluctant to talk about the past.

The wind was rushing in Pyrrha’s ears as she flew through air, looking for a safe place to land. Behind her, she could hear Jaune screaming, but could not risk turning around to see where he was in relation to her. Instead, she aimed her weapon at a large branch of a tree and cleared away the branches with a few well-placed shots. She rolled onto the branch and began to scan for Jaune. He was tumbling downward with no strategy in mind and Pyrrha knew she had to act fast, lest Jaune becoming something unrecognizable on the forest floor. (A thought that Pyrrha did not want to entertain for long.)

Instead she transformed her rifle into a spear, took aim and launched the spear with a strong throw and a boost from the shot. She watched as it caught Jaune, and she smiled when she heard the faint thunk of the weapon hitting a tree. 

“Thank you!” came even fainter on the wind.

“I’m sorry!” Pyrrha shouted back, and she was. After all, it wasn’t the most painless of strategies. But mostly she was just glad that Jaune was all right. She jumped out of the tree, using several smaller ones to make it to the forest floor safely. If she was quick, she would hopefully find him before anyone else, or any thing else, found him first. 

**

As he hung there, Jaune found himself in a moral quandary. 

He had come to Beacon in an effort to prove to himself that he was more than the weenie boy that he had become known as. And already, on their first test, Pyrrha had helped him out. Not that he wasn’t grateful since the way he’d been going he probably would have become fertilizer for the forest floor. But it made him wonder if this was as far as he was going to get?

At the same token, it’s not like she remembered who he was, so she was just being nice, and helpful, and possibly thinking that they could be partners, and Jaune was once again not sure if he was making himself feel better or highlighting his failures. He supposed there was nothing he could about that at the moment. Perhaps the better thing to do would be to try to get himself down from this tree and ask her himself. 

She would need her weapon back after all. 

However, he was not in a position to yank the spear out, instead flailing his legs around and trying to pull at it while he dangled by his hoodie and this was not the way he’d expected to run into Weiss. (Fantasies, or near-death hallucinations as the case may be, had involved something much more cool, possibly involving him neatly slaying a Grim and a suave one-liner).

Instead it amounted to a hopeful look and her walking away in disgust. Jaune hung there, dejected and deeply resentful of the next person to walk up and find him hanging there rather lamely. 

It turned out to be Pyrrha.

“Jaune…is there still room on your team?” she asked, slightly teasing, but smiling at him. 

“Very funny,” Jaune replied, looking away. But then relenting. Maybe this was a chance to start things over. Pyrrha wouldn’t be a bad partner to have anyway. And well, it seemed to be what she wanted. And he’d always had a hard time saying no to her. 

He returned the smile, and made eye contact with her for the first time. He’d forgotten how green her eyes were. And how they lit up when she smiled.

Yeah, definitely not a bad idea.

**

With Pyrrha’s help, Jaune was let down from the tree quickly, and the two continued on their way to find the relics. Pyrrha led the way, clearing a path through the thick grass and underbrush of the forest. Jaune followed behind, trying to remain alert but mostly boggling over the situation.

Neither of them spoke, both trying to settle on a conversation topic. There were a lot of awkward stops and starts, attempts to ask questions like “do you remember me?” but instead changing their minds at the last moment. Asking about their old promise was right out of the question. And so instead, they walked. Every so often, Pyrrha would pause to consider the direction they were heading in, and Jaune was reluctant to provide any suggestion. This was out of his comfort zone. If he’d gone out into the woods, it was always with his sisters or parents and they took care of the navigation while he just followed along. 

It was frustrating. He knew that this kind of stuff really should be second nature to him, and it was further proof that he was out of his depth. He kept wondering how obvious it was that he really shouldn’t be here. If he could offer something, anything, it would be enough for him. But he didn’t even know where to start.

“Did you hear that?” he asked, suddenly. The sound of crashing and the sound of howling grim echoed through the valley.

“It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy,” Pyrrha replied, looking back in the same direction as him. It was to be expected, and while part of her wanted to investigate, and possibly help, they were likely too far away, and that wasn’t the point of the test. They kept going instead, suddenly more mindful of how real this test was. While they were being supervised, it would still be up to them until the direst of situations. Pyrrha bent back a branch to pass through it. Jaune, still wondering just who had encountered what, caught the branch with his face and was knocked to the ground.

“Jaune! I’m sorry,” Pyrrha said, turning around instantly. Jaune waved it off, getting up easily. This was nothing and he probably deserved it for not paying attention.

“It’s okay, just a scratch.” He touched his face absently. He was bleeding a little but nothing he couldn’t handle, he hoped. Would he still have to act tough if it got horribly infected? 

“Why didn’t you activate your aura?” Pyrrha asked. Surely Jaune knew about that.

“Huh?” 

“Your aura.” Maybe not.

“Bless you.”

“Jaune, do you know what aura is?” Pyrrha asked. Surely he’d gone to Signal and they’d have taught him all about this. It was worrisome if he had made it into Beacon without that knowledge, and it wasn’t like Jaune was an idiot savant. It was a basic skill for all huntsmen and huntresses, even at a beginner level.

“Of course I know what aura is. Do you know what aura is?” he replied, full of false bravado. Pyrrha wasn’t convinced, and wanted to say more but that might give her away, so instead she smiled, and figured she could throw Jaune at least one more bone.

“Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt like you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?” She asked.

Jaune nodded. He could remember back to the days when they played together in their secret spot in the forest. There were times when he knew Pyrrha was there without having to see her or call out to her. He couldn’t say how he knew, he just did. 

“Yeah,” he said finally, catching himself before he spoke about the memory. As relevant as it was, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that conversation. Although, at the rate he was going, Jaune wasn’t sure if he would ever be ready.

“With practice, aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals,” Pyrrha continued, hoping that some of this would jog Jaune’s memory. She was slightly disappointed at his next question but soldiered on.

The more Pyrrha talked, the more Jaune asked questions. If only to keep the conversation going. He felt a little stupid in his ignorance, again strongly aware of the distance between him and Pyrrha. But he understood it, in a way, and he wanted to know more. He wanted to catch up. 

“So, it’s like a force field!” he said, pleased with himself and the conclusion he’d come to. At least, that’s what aura sounded like to him.

“Yes, if you want to look at it that way. Now, close your eyes and concentrate.” It surprised Pyrrha how much Jaune was still like a kid. But her annoyance and worry had passed and she found it endearing. She was glad that Jaune hadn’t really grown up, as many times, it felt like she had. He was grasping the concepts, so there was hope for him yet.

She supposed that Jaune didn’t need to close his eyes for this, but it was a good way of hiding the fact that she was blushing. Even so, she couldn’t think of a better way to help than by awakening his aura. She had promised herself to help him, and this would be the start. Never mind the slightly intimate nature of it all, since their auras would have to touch. She almost pulled back at the thought.

“O…kay,” he said, hesitantly, and as Pyrrha closed her eyes she could see that he was blushing as well. Was that an indication that he was as embarrassed as her? Because he knew her? Or was it something else? Regardless, Pyrrha pushed those thoughts out of the way, took a breath, and began.

 _“For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee.”_

Pyrrha backed away, out of breath and more than a little surprised. She wasn’t sure how it had happened, maybe something in the process of their auras touching, but she’d seen a memory. Of her and Jaune playing hide and seek in their secret spot. Had he been thinking of that? 

Jaune opened his eyes, feeling warmth well up in him.

“Pyrrha?” he asked, concerned. She stood up, waving him off much like he had with the tree branch. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a minute. Jaune blinked, realizing that there was recognition in Pyrrha’s eyes, one that hadn’t been there before. Had she seen something? Did she know? Did he dare ask? 

Pyrrha wasn’t sure what to say. He knew who she was, he had to. Should she say something? Acknowledge what had happened. She had to make a decision.

“It’s alright. I used my aura to unlock yours. But the energy that protects you now is your own. And you have a lot of it.”

Mentally she was kicking herself. She should have said something, ended this awkwardness between them. But for some reason, she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready.

Jaune touched his cheek, before pulling his hand back in surprised. He could see a faint glow around his fingers, and the cut on his cheek had healed completely. He looked at Pyrrha, smiling and not entirely sure if he should thank her or start asking questions, so instead he just nodded. If she didn’t want to say anything, then he wouldn’t either. Pyrrha smiled back, and they continued through the forest.

\--

Despite the intimacy of the previous moment, or perhaps because of it, conversation remained minimal. Jaune was still buzzing from the awakening of his aura. It was like he could feel everything. Never mind that Pyrrha had used her aura to awaken his. Did that mean that they had mixed auras somehow? Did it feel the same for her as it did for him? Familiar, and comforting. 

Pyrrha was having similar thoughts. She kept wondering if it was possible to share memories when doing something like that. She kept asking herself if it was because she knew Jaune? That their previous bond had somehow made it more, dare she say it, intimate? She wished she could contact her old teacher, but that would have to wait. She had to remind herself they were in the middle of a test.

It was enough to keep them occupied until they came to a cave.

“You think this is it?” Jaune asked. There were etchings on the side, which suggested something. Maybe it was, though Pyrrha was not quite convinced.

“I guess we could check,” she suggested. Jaune nodded eagerly, grabbing a branch and fashioning a quick torch. They entered the cave. The farther they went, the darker it became and the more entrance dwindled behind them, the more Pyrrha was concerned.

“I don’t think this is the way,” she said finally. Jaune sighed.

“Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for five more feet?” He said, sounding a little exasperated. At least until he tripped, the torch falling out of his hand and into a puddle. Pyrrha tried to reach out to him but it was hard to see in the dark, and it sounded like he had gotten up on his own.

“Do you…feel that?” she asked, suddenly distracted.

“Soul crushing regret?” 

“No…it’s warm.” Warmer than a cave like this had any right being, anyway.

They continued down the tunnel, groping their way through the darkness until a gold light shone in front of them.

“That’s the relic!” Jaune exclaimed, both excited and relieved. Pyrrha tried to stop him, but he lunged forward. The relic bounced out of his reach and he pursed, finally grabbing it.

“Jaune…” Pyrrha began, realization starting to dawn on her as glowing red eyes appeared out of the darkness. 

Jaune screamed.

\--

Pyrrha knew she would have no chance against the Deathstalker in the cave and so she turned and began to run as fast as she could. She had to get outside. There, she would have a better chance of rescuing Jaune, who at least at the sense, or the fear, to hang on to the tail.

She burst of the tunnel with the Grim right behind her. Jaune was swinging wildly on the tail, screaming at the top of his lungs. 

“Don’t let go!” she shouted, but as she said that, the Deathstalker flung Jaune into the air, and she had no way of knowing where he ended up. She faced the Deathstalker, considering her options. Before she was just planning to rescue Jaune, but even with her skill she knew the Grimm had the advantage. There was only one thing left to do.

She ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very close to canon, but hopefully I've added enough that it's interesting and not a complete regurgitation of it. By the same token, I feel that's to be expected in these early chapters, given this fic's compliancy to canon. Starting next chapter however, we'll start to, not deviate necessarily, but focus on JNPR where canon focuses on RWBY.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	4. Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A test is completed, a new team is formed, and a realization is made.

The wind was rushing through Jaune’s ears, as he flew through the air utterly discombobulated. He had yet to regain any sense of control, instead caught up in a litany of regrets over every choice he’d made that had led to this very moment. Thankfully it ended when he collided with something in mid-air and finally stopped moving. 

When he succeeded in catching up with himself, Jaune registered two things. One, he was looking at Ruby, and two, she was upside down. Or more to the point, he was not right side up.

“Hey Ruby,” he said with a sigh, mixed with some slight relief. There were worse people to have collided with, and he could only imagine what crazy set of circumstances could have led to her hurtling through mid-air. Maybe they could laugh about them later. Like, several years from now. When the embarrassment had finally faded. Maybe.

\--

In the meantime, Pyrrha was in the process of running for her life, and determining that this was not how she had expected her first day of huntress training to go. While she was somewhat proud of the fact that she had lasted this long avoiding the Deathstalker, she knew it was only a matter of time before she ran out of steam. Especially as she was rapidly running out of forest, and cover, and heading towards an open plain. 

However, she could also see ruins in the distance, which led her to believe, or at least hope, that she was on her way to the actual temple, and if she got lucky, there would be other teams hanging around who could help her. Or even a professor. As she burst out into the field, she quickly scanned the area noting with relief that Nora, Ren, Weiss, and, thank god, Jaune were there.

“Jaune!” she called out, avoiding the Deathstalker’s claws with a narrow jump through their opening.

\--

“Pyrrha?” Jaune said, looking over and seeing her running from the giant scorpion. He twisted in the tree, trying to free himself and looking to Ruby for help.

Ruby, however, had already leapt out of the tree with a “whoa!”

“Ruby!” Jaune called after her. Now how was he supposed to do this?

With a large amount of effort, considering the weight of the armour he was wearing and his own limited physical strength, Jaune managed to do something of a hanging sit-up and see that his leg was caught between two branches. Doing another sit-up, he reached with all his might and grabbed one of them, pulling it toward him to allow enough room to get his leg out. It put him in something of a splits position that was less than comfortable. But standing on tip-toe and pulling himself up more with the help of another branch, Jaune was able to unhook where his pant leg from a branch, coming down with a “woosh” onto the sturdier limb Ruby had recently vacated.

And just in time to. For he looked up, and saw Weiss falling, less than gracefully but he ignored that, towards the ground.

This was his chance. His moment. His time to shine.

Getting a running start on the log, he leapt into a beautiful swan dive.

“Just dropping in?” he said with a suave smile, as he caught Weiss.

It was at that moment that the Universe decided it had had enough of that. Gravity is a law that needed to be obeyed, after all.

For some reason, Jaune fell faster than Weiss, and she landed with a thump upon his back.

“My hero,” she said, sarcastically.

“My back…” he groaned, once again resigning himself to the feeling of having his hopes and dreams utterly crushed into dust.

\--

“Great, the gang’s all here,” came an unfamiliar voice as Pyrrha collapsed on the ground in front of the group gathered by temple. She lay there for a few moments, catching her breath, before pushing herself off the ground just in time to see a girl in a red hood take off towards the Deathstalker.

She wanted to yell, or say something or even do something but knew she was in no shape to be of any help. All she’d been able to do was run away. And she wasn’t the only one. Nora, Ren, and a girl with a black bow who’s name Pyrrha didn’t know could only watch the scene unfold, unsure of what to do. 

Especially when the Giant Nevermore from before got involved. She went to stand up, and was surprised to find herself supported by Jaune, who had also managed to recover and make his way over.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked, looking around at the group still near the temple. They nodded.

“We’re fine,” said the girl with the bow, “But what about them?” 

The question was answered with a resounding crackle and a spike of ice seemed to have appeared on the field. Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief as Weiss had joined the fray and stopped the Deathstalker from doing anything to the other girl.

The situation momentarily halted, the three fighters made their way back to the temple, and there was a quick round of introductions before the reality of what they had gotten themselves into began to make itself apparent.

“Guys, that thing is circling back,” Jaune said, pointing to the sky where the Nevermore was, “What are we going to do?” 

“There’s no sense in dilly-dallying,” Weiss replied, calmly. “Our objective is right in front of us.”

“She’s right,” Ruby added, as they all looked towards the chess pieces on the pillars. “All we need to do is grab an artifact and head back to the cliffs. There’s no need to fight these things.”

“Run and live,” Jaune summarized with a very relieved smile. “That is an idea I can get behind.” 

Though there was a distinct sense that they weren’t going to get very far without some kind of combat. 

Without speaking, Jaune walked over the pillar and picked up a gold, or white Pyrrha supposed, rook while Ruby picked up a knight. Following suit, Pyrrha took a rook as well, as did Nora and Ren, who both smiled at her and Jaune. It wasn’t too difficult to figure out what the pieces meant.

There was a screaming sound followed by a crack, and the group turned to look at the Deathstalker, who was struggling against the ice, and winning. 

“Time we left,” said Ren, and the rest of the group nodded. 

“Let’s go,” Ruby replied, motioning for everyone to follow her and taking off at a run. Jaune repeated the motion, and they headed out.

The ruins, it turned out, were much more extensive than Pyrrha had first thought. Along with the temple in the forest, they extended back to the base of the cliffs, rising into a large spire like structure connected by stone bridges that allowed for passage over the valley. It might have been beautiful, had they not been running for their lives. 

They could hear the Nevermore overhead, diving behind some rocks for cover as it came to perch on a ruined spire in front of them.

“Well, that’s great,” Yang could be heard saying as a crashing sound came from behind them. The Deathstalker burst through the forest, it’s pincers clacking, headed straight for them. 

“Oh great, run!” Jaune shouted, and they broke cover, hoping to gain as much distance as they could. Nora flew out, acting as a distraction for the Nevermore. The grenades from her weapon had some effect, as clouds of dust exploded and kept the giant bird at bay as the others ran for the stone bridge beyond. 

Nora’s pause, however, had allowed the Deathstalker to catch up, preventing Nora from a full retaliation. At least until the timely intervention of Ren and Blake, who distracted it as Weiss leapt in and pulled Nora to safety.

\--

Pyrhha looked back, seeing the Deathstalker rise over the hill as it pursued Ren and Blake, and knew she couldn’t leave them behind. 

“Go!” she shouted, turning to cover her retreating friends and give some aid to those still fighting. It was enough, as Blake and Ren soon made it to the bridge and they kept running. 

The Nevermore, however, was making its move now, and crashed into the side of the bridge, knocking out the pillars that were supporting it.

\--

Jaune hit the ground after the impact, but recovered quickly enough. He shook his head, hearing shots and glancing over to see Ruby firing at the Nevermore that was circling away. He looked around to check on everyone else, and saw Ren, Blake, and Pyrhha once again engaging the Deathstalker, as well as a wide chasm that had opened up now that the Nevermore had destroyed the bridge. 

“Man, we have got to get over there,” he said, more to himself. He had to go help his partner, and possibly his team? He shook his head, not having enough time to consider that now, he just had to do it. “They need help.”

“Let’s do this!” Nora replied, appearing beside him. 

“Yeah, but, I can’t make that jump,” Jaune’s voice was suddenly very shaky as he looked down into the valley, where all that could be seen was fog and no indication of where the bottom was.

Nora suddenly smiled in a way that Jaune did not like, but before any objection could be uttered, he was knocked back by the small girl’s grenade launcher and could only watch in a mix of awe and dawning horror as it transformed into a hammer. 

With speed and strength hidden by her small stature, Nora ran off the edge and in the split second of hang time, swung her hammer down on to the side of the bridge. Jaune could only scream his objections, which ultimately went ignored as he was launched into the air as off a teeter-totter. He landed on the other side, arms and legs going everywhere, while Nora seemed to sail across smoothly and launch an attack against the grim, slamming the hammer down onto its head before she was knocked back. Thankfully, she recovered quickly. 

And then it was the four of them, staring down the Deathstalker. It lashed out with its tail, the golden stinger driving into the remains of the bridge.

“We gotta move,” Jaune yelled, as it started to crumble, and Pyrrha was almost surprised to hear the assertiveness in his voice. It didn’t break once. But there was no time for prideful reflections as they surged forward. Taking the lead, Pyrrha blocked one of the pincers with her shield before slashing at it with her spear. The other pincer swung towards her but before she could react, Jaune had jumped in front to perform his own block. Pyrrha jumped over him to continue knocking it back, creating an opening for Ren to start peppering it with bullets.

The Deathstalker stabbed down with it’s stinger, but Ren skirted around it, using his momentum to swing himself up the tail so that he was behind the stinger. He concentrated his fire on the base of the stinger in order to weaken it. Nora, in the meantime, collapsed her hammer back into its grenade launcher form, firing several shots. The Deathstalker tried to defend, knocking Pyrrha and Jaune back, but Pyrrha was able to throw her spear into the grim’s eye, and as it reared back, Ren was thrown into a wall. 

In the meantime, Jaune had recovered enough to look up and see the stinger dangling from the Deathstalker’s tail. His mind was racing, desperate for an idea when he glanced down to Pyrrha’s shield, and of all the times to remember her fight in the Mistral Regional Tournament last year. She’d thrown the shield like a Frisbee.

“Pyrrha!” he shouted.

“Got it!” and it was like she had read his mind, the shield flying from her hand like a discus, and slicing through whatever held the stinger. It fell into the grim’s head as Pyrrha caught her shield with ease, reattaching it to her arm. 

Jaune wasn’t sure how he had turned into the one calling the shots, but it seemed to be working so he would keep with. All that was left was to land a finishing blow he was sure. And Nora’s hammer would do the trick.

“Nora! Nail it!” he shouted and the small girl needed no further asking. She jumped onto Pyrrha’s shield and through the combined efforts of Pyrrha’s launch and her hammer, was thrown up into the air, before tumbling down with a loud crash that slammed the Deathstalker over the edge and Pyrrha and Jaune once again into the air. 

Jaune screamed, landing on the ground with a familiar “oof”. Beside him was Nora, and following her Pyrrha, who had a much better landing. Ren had gotten up to join them, but didn’t last long before collapsing to the ground again in exhaustion.

Jaune lay on the ground for a moment, the adrenalin pounding in his ears. Had he really just done that? Fought…Led an attack on a Deathstalker? It didn’t seem real. As he caught his breath, he could feel his body start to ache but he had to get up and check on the others. On his team. That’s what they were now, right? They’d all grabbed the same artifact after all.

“Everyone okay?” he heard Pyrrha ask. 

“I’m fine,” Ren replied, somewhat meekly and being supported by Nora.

“Yeah, me to,” Jaune added, dragging himself into a sitting position. He smiled weakly at Pyrrha. “How about you?” 

Pyrrha didn’t get a chance to answer.

“That. Was. INCREDIBLE!” Nora shouted, “Did you see us? We were amazing! Pyrrha you were so cool and you,” she indicated Jaune, “you were awesome taking charge like that! Best! Day! Ever!”

“Nora, could you tone it down a bit?” Ren asked from the ground where he’d been dropped. “I’ve got a headache.” 

“Oh! Sorry Ren!” Nora replied, managing to lower her voice several decibels, but not many.

“But Nora is right. You did a good job, Jaune, was it?” 

“Yeah,” Jaune mumbled, blushing. “Thanks. But you guys did most of the work.”

“But without you guiding us, we might not have been as successful,” Pyrrha said, unable to hide the pride in her voice. Even if he didn’t know it, Jaune really had grown from the little boy that she remembered. “I think this is the start of an excellent partnership.”

“Forget partners!” Nora shouted again, “We’re gonna be the best team Beacon’s ever seen!” 

No one really got a chance to add to that because Ren, finally making it to his feet, pointed and they all turned in time to see Ruby running up the side of the cliff, dragging the Giant Nevermore by her scythe. It was incredible and for a long time, they all just stood in awe.

Okay. Maybe they had some competition.

\--

With the giant grim mostly taken care, the two teams were able to make their way back to the starting area in relative peace. It wasn’t easy, since they didn’t exactly have Weiss’s glyphs or Ruby’s speed, and it turns out that it’s a lot easier to be launched through the air than it is to scale a sheer cliff. 

But they managed somehow. Through a combination of teamwork, screaming (Jaune), and laughter (Nora), they eventually arrived at the top of the hill. As it turned out, they were the last two teams to arrive. Professor Goodwitch looked almost relieved to see them return, a surprise since they had already grown used to her constantly stern expression. There was also a team of boys who elbowed each other and laughed, quietly but derisively as Pyrrha helped Jaune scramble over the cliff. Neither noticed, but Nora did, but Ren put a hand on her shoulder. Now was not the time for conflict. 

They’d just survived their first test. 

Now the real training would begin.

\--

Once everyone had had the opportunity to catch their breath, the students were lead back to the school, and once again into the great hall where they had first gathered. The two large screens were lit up, and Professor Ozpin stood on the stage. One by one, he announced the new formed teams, starting with their members, names, and finally the leader. 

Jaune was terrified. 

Surprisingly, not as scared as he had been facing down the Deathstalker, mostly because that was assured certain death if he had failed (except not really because there were probably Professors watching out for them the more logically, albeit quieter part of his brain reasoned). But still scared. 

He had honestly not expected to get this far. He’d expected to be found out, have his bags packed and sent back home in shame for his deceitful actions. And in some cases that would have come as a relief. He would no longer have to keep up this charade. (At this point the more logical, quieter part of his brain chimed in again, arguing that if he hadn’t wanted to do this then why had he lied in the first place? This is what he wanted in the long run and hadn’t it been almost exhilarating fighting alongside his new teammates?) . There wasn’t really time for him to launch a mental counterpoint when he suddenly heard his name being called. With a nudge from Pyrrha, they moved towards the stage.

“Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie,” Ozpin began, “the four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR, led by…Jaune Arc!”

“Huh?” Jaune could hardly believe what he was hearing, “led..by?” 

He was so stunned he could barely hear what Ozpin said to him, or notice Pyrrha giving him a celebratory punch on the arm, which ultimately knocked him to the floor. 

As he sat on the floor, vaguely aware of the laughter from the other students and Pyrrha’s apologies, Jaune was not sure what to think. Feelings of guilt and shame and pride bubbled up in his chest and he wasn’t sure how to deal with them outside of smiling awkwardly and wanting to find a bathroom. 

Team leader. How the hell had that happened?

\--

The ceremony over, the new students were led of the hall and towards the dormitories. There was a surprising hum among the crowd, despite everything they’d been through, as many of them were telling stories of their exploits during the test and sharing anticipation for the classes that were about to begin.

For now though, Pyrrha walked quietly, half listening to Nora who was practically skipping and talking to Ren, who maintained his usual silence. She was tired, and it was finally starting to set in. As excited as she was to properly start classes, all she wanted to do was get into a comfortable bed and sleep. It would be nice to get her armour off and get into her pyjamas. 

Of course then it occurred to her how that was going to work out. Teams shared a room after all, which meant that she would be sharing a room with Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Surely there had to be a place to change and all of that. She’d have to see when she got there. And then it was as if her brain did a double take. 

She would be sharing a room with Jaune. 

She would be _sharing_ a _room_ with _Jaune_.

“Pyrrha, is everything alright?” came a voice and Pyrrha blinked. The group had moved on ahead of her and Jaune had paused to look back.

“Everything’s fine! Sorry,” Pyrrha heard herself say, but in truth everything was not fine. She was going to be sharing a room with Jaune, he would see her in her pajamas they would be studying together and sharing personal space and this was not the sleepover with Nora that she had envisioned in the slightest. She could not talk about cute boys when the cute boy in question was going to be in the room with her. 

How was she going to be expected to sleep in this kind of environment?

With a shake of her head, Pyrrha hurried forward, not looking at Jaune until she could force herself to think at a reasonable pace and like a reasonable human being. It was probably for the best that she didn’t look, for if she had, Pyrrha Nikos would have seen her expression mirrored in the face of Jaune Arc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, again, feels very canon compliant, but I did my best to keep the focus on JNPR. But now that this arc is done, we'll be able to see them doing their own thing for a bit, and getting to know each other. For better or for worse. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and more importantly, who's hyped for Volume 4?


	5. To Begin A Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year begins, thoughts are had, and Team JNPR begins to bond

Despite all her worries, sleep managed to overtake Pyrrha that night. 

By the time they’d reached their dorm room, no one had been particularly interested in talking and instead they quietly prepared themselves for bed. Excluding Nora’s reaction to Jaune’s pajamas, which had then led to a round of exhausted laughter, allowing the team to end the day on a pleasant note before the light was turned off. 

When she woke up, Pyrrha felt renewed. 

She was the first one up, waking as the sun started to stream through the window. It was a nice sensation, one that reminded her of home. She sat up, stretched and then looked across the room at the three other occupied beds. At her team.

Pyrrha was filled with a sudden feeling of warmth and belonging towards her new teammates. It was something she had been looking forward to in coming to Beacon. Her successes might have brought her fame, but they had also created something of a wall between her and her peers at her old school. Beacon was her chance to start over. And they had clicked instantly. There’s a strong bond created when your first task is to take a grim head on, fighting for your survival.

Quietly, she got up and headed towards the bathroom. Since she was up, she might as well take advantage of it and have a much needed shower, as well as try on her new uniform. As she emerged, clean and feeling more like a Beacon student that ever before, she found the rest of her team stirring. 

“Morning,” Ren said with a yawn. Pyrrha was about to reply when Nora sprang out of bed.

“Oh my god Pyrrha! You already have the uniform on, let me see! It’s adorable! I can’t wait to wear mine, I call the bathroom next!” 

And without giving anyone the time to argue, Nora bounced over Ren’s bed and into the bathroom. 

“Did something happen?” Jaune asked, sitting up. Pyrrha had to look away briefly, to avoid staring at his bed head.

“Just Nora being Nora,” Ren replied. “I’d say you get used to her, but…”

“She’s just who she is, Ren,” Pyrrha said with a smile. “We’ll just have to get used to each other. We’re a team now, after all.” 

It felt good to say.

\--

After that, the morning progressed rather quickly with the four of them puttering about the room and going about the business of moving in. None of them had brought a large amount of belongings and so they were able to divide the space relatively evenly. 

No one really talked during that time, and it was making Jaune nervous. Maybe it was because he was used to his family, who was usually loud and boisterous. With seven sisters, it was hard for it not to be. But at the same time, he was having trouble starting a conversation. Instead, the events of yesterday were starting to catch up with him. 

Starting the test, partnering with Pyrrha, learning about aura, the whole fight with the grim, being named leader, Jaune could feel himself growing overwhelmed, and that didn’t even factor in today when classes started. How did he even get himself into this? Becoming a team leader hadn’t been part of his plan. He’d just hoped to remain quiet in the background. A nobody. The spotlight was better left to people like Pyrrha and Ruby and those with actual combat experience. This was a bad idea, he shouldn’t have done this, should have just stayed home--

“Jaune, is everything alright?” 

It was Pyrrha’s voice that broke through his thoughts and he looked up at her. Pyrrha should have been the leader, said a slightly traitorous voice in his head. She was the celebrity after all. But hadn’t she said he’d make a great leader? Hold on, Pyrrha had asked him a question. Now wasn’t the time for mental debate.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just…haven’t really woken up yet. Guess we should get breakfast,” he said, probably more quickly than he should have. He started eagerly towards the door. 

There was a murmur of agreement from the other three, before a shout came from the other side of the door. 

Team JNPR looked opened their door, looking out in the hall. Jaune looked out first, with Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora stacking on top of him, just in time to see Weiss dashing down the hall, hollering about how they were going to be late. The remaining members of Team RWBY followed, and after a brief moment of collapse and untangling themselves, Team JNPR followed. 

It was one way to start the year. 

\--

Somehow or other, they were on time. Barely. 

The various members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR slid into the classroom and found seats just as the bell rang to signal the start of classes and their professor strode confidently into the room.

The Professor began to talk and Pyrrha could feel the stress of the morning starting to melt away, only to be replaced by a mounting excitement. It felt weird, to actually miss being in school. She pulled out a notebook, just in case thought the professor’s lecture seemed to be more of an autobiographical lecture than an academic one. 

She glanced over at Jaune, who was staring slack jawed at the professor, giving off the sense that he was trying to pay attention, but not really absorbing any of the information. Pyrrha made a few more notes, just in case they might be useful later. She found herself smiling, though for what reason she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the fact that she was back at school, doing what she wanted, that she had friends and a team, that she and Jaune had sat like this way back in elementary school and it was just like old times. 

Pyrrha paused and shook her head. Now was not the time to be having those thoughts. Gods she hoped she wasn’t blushing.

\--

in truth, Jaune was completely lost. Maybe it was hunger, maybe he was remembering how he used to sit next to Pyrrha in elementary school, or maybe it was the fact that the Professor, Peter Port as he had introduced himself, sort of, wasn’t so much lecturing as rambling on about his life, but none of it was getting through to Jaune. 

He glanced over at Pyrrha, realizing at that moment that they were in fact sitting beside each other. That part wasn’t a fantasy or a memory anymore, she was sitting right beside him, apparently listening to the “lecture” and even making some notes. Jaune glanced over. Her handwriting was still pretty, and she even made her Gs the same way. 

Port cleared his throat, and Jaune was pulled away from whatever further thoughts he was going to have, instead sitting up straight to give the illusion that he was paying attention. And also praying that he would not be called upon because he had heard a grand total of zero things said by the Professor. 

Instead it was Weiss who put up her hand, and it dawned on Jaune that they were going to see a fight right in front of them.

\--

“Well that was quite the class,” Pyrrha said as they sat down for lunch. Everyone was still talking about the fight between Weiss and the grimm that she had fought. Pyrrha didn’t think they were going to get a practical, hands-on opportunity on the first day of classes, but considering their first test, she really should have thought better.

“No kidding!” Nora exclaimed. “It. Was. Amazing! Weiss was super cool the way she speared it through the chest!” 

“I wonder if we’ll all have a chance like that,” said Ren, looking thoughtful. Nora seized the idea, and began to describe how she would take on any grimm brought her way. Her enthusiasm made Pyrrha laugh, but then her expression clouded.

“Jaune, did something happen?” she asked, seeing her partner make his way over to the table. His uniform looked stained.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing, just dropped my tray and everything spilled.”

Ren passed him some napkins as laughter erupted from the other side of the cafeteria. Pyrrha glanced over to see another boy in silver armour acting out the motion of flipping a tray to his teammates. It didn’t take her long to put two and two together. She looked at Jaune, about to say something but his expression suggested that he didn’t really want to talk about it so she held back. 

She glanced over at far table again, her eyes narrowed. Something told her that this wasn’t going to be a one time thing. 

“So, uh, what do we have next?” Jaune asked, hastily changing the subject.

“Looks like combat training with Professor Goodwitch, and then Wilderness skills with Professor Peach,” Ren replied, checking the schedule. 

“And we end the day with history with Professor Oobleck,” Pyrrha added. 

“Combat training, right,” Jaune replied, laughing nervously and keeping his focus on his food. He was not looking forward to that. While he’d made it out of the test alright, that had largely been due to the skills of his teammates. 

“C’mon Jaune! It’ll be fun!” Nora grinned, punching him in the shoulder with a surprising amount of force for a girl of her size. 

“There probably won’t be too much, since we’re still getting started, so I don’t think you’ll have a lot to worry about,” Ren added.

“Besides, you won’t be alone. You’ve got us,” Pyrrha finished, beaming. “We’re Team JNPR after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how in shows like Mad Men you can get a bunch of episodes where it doesn't feel like a whole lot happens, and then you get the episode where everything does. I guess you could say that that was the intent with this chapter (the former rather than the latter). But we're moving towards the Jaune Arc and that? That's gonna be fun.
> 
> Also I really like writing Team JNPR.
> 
> Happy New Year all!


	6. And Falling Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding is great and all, but sometimes arguments happen.

And so the days passed.

The first day had really only scratched the surface of what Beacon life would be like. The days were filled with history lessons, learning about different grimm types, understanding aura and combat practice, everything that they would need to become successful huntsmen and huntresses. That would spread into the evening where they fought their way through the various readings and assignments, before turning in for the night. Occasionally a team practice would make it’s way in there.

Weekends they had off, but between homework and combat practice, team JNPR found that they very rarely left Beacon, choosing instead to inhabit the library or their dorm. Occasionally a shady tree outside if it was nice. About a month in, a break had been needed and they’d gone into Vale for a movie. However, being so exhausted from the week, they’d promptly passed out in the theatre, and thankfully the staff took pity on them. Even with Nora snoring. 

It was busy and it was fun and it was nice to be able to do both as a team but Jaune Arc was swiftly coming to the realization that nothing was sinking in.

He could stare at a page, or hear a lecture in class, but it was like there was a wall preventing the information from reaching his brain. Certainly, he’d never been the best student in the world, but he’d achieved passing grades for the most part. Maybe it was the fact that he’d never had formal training or gone to a proper school like the others, so the best he could do was fake it. Pyrrha and Ren helped him out here and there but as the days wore on the harder it got. 

The pride he’d felt after the Initiation was dissipating and he was starting to feel like a failure. And his secret was starting to weigh on him.

Cardin Winchester didn’t help.

It seemed from day one, Cardin had identified Jaune as his target, and did whatever he could to make sure Jaune did not have a good day. Granted, his disrespectful demeanor, and that of the rest of his team, extended to everyone outside of teachers, but he seemed to have zeroed in on Jaune as a special case. Not a day went by where Cardin didn’t go out of his way to knock books out of Jaune’s hands, activate his shield to trap him in a doorway, or the one memorable time Jaune had been shoved in a rocket locker and launched into the wild blue yonder.

Thankfully he hadn’t landed too far away from the school.

But it had not made for a fun school experience, and added to the scale of Jaune’s doubts of whether or not he should be here. 

**

Combat class was over, but Jaune had not moved from the stage. 

He barely paid attention as the rest of the class filed out and tried to ignore Cardin’s obnoxious laugh as he and his team recounted the fight. He sighed. How was anyone supposed to pay attention to that much stuff in a fight? His aura level, his team’s aura level, the fact that his opponent would be coming after him with a weapon and he needed to defend or have his face smashed in, it seemed like too much. And yet he’d done it before in the Initiation. If only he could figure out how.

“Jaune, is everything alright?” 

Jaune finally looked up and realized that he and his team were the only ones left in the classroom. Even Professor Goodwitch had left. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking,” Jaune replied.

“We were worried you hurt something,” Ren said, “But if you’re fine, we should go get lunch?”

“Let’s do that.” Jaune accepted Nora’s outstretched hand, and with a surprising amount of strength for her small frame, Nora yanked him up with a less than pleasant crack.

“Actually, I think I might have hurt something.” 

“Come on, Jaune. Let’s go,” Ren replied, allowing Jaune to lean on him for at least the first couple of steps. Pyrrha and Nora followed behind, Nora barely containing her laughter.

**

Beacon was turning into everything that Pyrrha hoped it would be. The lectures were interesting, the combat training intense and there was the general feeling that she had found her place in the world. That this was where she wanted to be, doing what she wanted to do. And best of all, she was doing it with friends. She felt equal with them, even if she was at the top of the class. It was liberating. 

Certainly, there were those who were still intimidated, but her own team and team RWBY never seemed to make her feel that way. Instead, they included her, and only occasionally asked for help. She hadn’t felt like this for a long time. She’d never resented her fame, but it had made life hard but here it almost felt like she could escape it for a bit.

Only for a bit though. Occasionally she would catch stares in the hallway or overhear whispered conversations. There’d been a few autograph requests but those had shrunk as the weeks went by. Some, like Cardin Winchester, were outright hostile but Pyrrha did her best to ignore him when he threw a challenge her way. 

Although, she could not deny that Cardin was a bit of a problem. Especially with the way that he had zeroed in on Jaune as a target for his bullying. She felt stymied. Jaune wouldn’t admit to the bullying, and she knew that it was making him struggle as a result. There was only so much she could do to help when they did homework together, but whatever happened, it was like water through a sieve. Jaune wasn’t retaining anything.

She knew she had to help, but what would be the best way to approach Jaune about it.

**

“I’m worried about Jaune,” Ren said, as they waited outside of Oobleck’s classroom. Having been caught sleeping, Jaune was being held back, likely for extra readings and homework. “Even for him—“

“Even for him that answer was ridiculous. I mean, we went over it while we were doing the homework,” Nora added, cutting Ren off. “Although, you did kinda look like you were doing binoculars.” 

Pyrrha sighed. “Well, it’s bit harder to do night vision, but I agree with you, Ren. Jaune’s struggling.”

The three of them were silent for a while, caught up in their own thoughts of what to do. Ren glanced at his scroll, noting the time.

“You two can go on ahead, I’ll wait for Jaune.” 

Ren and Nora nodded, heading off towards the dorm to get ready for dinner. Pyrrha did not have to wait long for Professor Oobleck to zoom out of the room, Jaune and Cardin following behind. Cardin gave Jaune a shove, retaliation for making him stay after class. 

“You know, I really will break his legs,” Pyrrha said, helping Jaune up off the floor. Jaune waved her off.

“It’s fine,” he said, before turning to head to the dorms. Pyrrha made to follow him, but then had a different idea.

“Come with me,” she said, grabbing Jaune’s arm and pulling him in the opposite direction.

**

Pyrrha pulled Jaune to the roof of one the dormitories. It was early evening, the sun sending out it’s very last rays on the horizon as the deep blue of the evening took over the sky. It was cool, but not chilly, and they could see Vale quite well from where they stood. The evening lights of the city flickering on with the CTT tower a shining beacon in the center. It was a beautiful sight really, Pyrrha thought as they took it in. 

Finally Jaune spoke.

“Pyrrha, I know I’m in a bad place right now, but I’m not that depressed,” he said as he glanced over the edge. “I can always be a farmer or something…”

Realizing what Jaune meant, Pyrrha jumped quickly shoving him away from the edge and causing him to stumble back. He managed to catch himself and looked at her, confusion covering his face.

“No! That’s not what I meant. That’s not why I brought you here,” She said, flushed from her realization. She paused, collecting her thoughts. “I know you’ve been struggling in class, and that you’re still not the best fighter. So, I want to help you.” 

She smiled at him, hopefully, eagerly. Jaune stared at her, the confusion still present.

“What do you mean?”

“We can train up here, after class, where no one can bother us!”

“You think I need help?” 

“Well, no but—“

“But that’s what you just said.”

“I…Jaune, everyone needs a little help from time to time. There’s no shame in that, besides, you’re already here. You made it to Beacon, that speaks volumes of what you can do.” 

Pyrrha couldn’t really speak to any of the experiences Jaune had had since she’d moved away. She hadn’t really asked about his training, though she was still confused as to why he was clueless about pretty much everything combat related. But there had to have been some in order to lead him here.

The silence hung in the air longer than Pyrrha expected it to. She had expected her words to bolster Jaune, possibily to turn him on to the idea. Instead, his expression shifted from confusion to one that Pyrrha couldn’t really read. Like he was fighting some sort of interal battle. She reached out to him, and he flinched away, turning to face the city though not looking at the lights. 

“You’re wrong. I don’t belong here.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say. Of course you do!” Pyrhha knew it. She’d seen him lead them in battle, against the Deathstalker. And that was only the beginning. 

“No I don’t!” He said sharply, turning around quickly and causing Pyrrha to take a step back, confused. What was he talking about? What could he possibly mean? For a brief second, it looked as though Jaune was going to stop himself, but the words poured out of his mouth. 

“I didn’t go to combat school, I didn’t pass any tests, I didn’t earn my spot at this academy. I lied. I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied.”

The words landed on Pyrrha like a weight and it felt like something was breaking inside her. She’d always believed Jaune to be a good person, determined and even if he had to fight for things in life, fought fairly. Maybe part of it was that her mental image of Jaune was still that feather-haired, smiling child. And that was rapidly receding when faced with the troubled teenager before her.

“What?” was all she could say, before pulling herself together. “But why?”

“Because this is what I’ve always wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, his father before him, they were all warriors. I wanted to be one to, but I was just never good enough.”

Vaguely she could remember conversations about that. About his family history. Why he always want to be the knight whenever they played. Although the thoughts felt disconnected, as if they weren’t part of this conversation. It was like a bunch of loose facts floating around in her brain that weren’t coming together. 

“Then let me help you,” Pyrrha protested, a clear thought finally breaking through the fog and weight and everything that had descended on her.

“I don’t want your help!” Jaune shouted, desperation coming into his voice. “I don’t want to be the damsel in distress, I want to be the hero!”

“Jaune!”

“I’m tired of being the loveable idiot stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! I’m not like you, Pyrrha. I’ve never been like you, ever since we were kids. I was always hanging behind you. If I can’t do this alone, then what good am I?” 

For a moment, Pyrrha couldn’t even speak. She cast around for words, trying to make her brain and her mouth connect once more. This is not how their reunion, this realization was supposed to go. 

Or at least, it wasn’t how Pyrrha had imagined it.

“You remembered me?” The words came out before she had a chance to stop them.

“How could I forget?” For a brief moment, he seemed almost like himself, before it disappeared under everything else.

“But you—“

She took a step forward, wanting to take Jaune’s arm, provide some form of comfort or support, work out a way to talk about this rationally. Jaune pulled away, his face stern even though he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes focused on the roof.

“Look, that just came out. Forget about, and just, leave me alone, okay?” 

He finally turned his head towards her, and the look in his eyes held no room for argument. 

“If that’s what you think is best.” 

Pyrrha stood for a moment longer, but Jaune had turned away, looking out across Vale. Knowing that nothing more would happen, she turned to go, silently making her way back towards the dorms.

**

She felt like she was in a fog and had no real idea of where she was going much less how she got there. Her mind was swimming with all of the revelations she had heard tonight and the questions that inevitably came with them. Attempts were made to reconcile them. Pathetic attempts really, as she always wound up right back where she started. 

Jaune remembered her. Jaune had lied his way into Beacon. 

Two simple facts that just weren’t making sense to her. 

She came out of her thoughts due to a sudden shock.

“Sorry,” she said, automatically, her mind trying to catch up with the rest of the situation.

“Pyrrha! There you are! Ren and I were looking all over for you!”

“Nora?” 

Everything seemed to click into focus again. There was her teammate, beaming at her. She was wearing her pyjamas, but that didn’t seem to be bothering her. 

“Yup, that’s my name don’t wear it out. Just a second,” and she pulled out her scroll, dialing Ren’s number. “Hey, I found her. No sign of Jaune though, but you can probably head back to the dorm. So where were you? You said you’d be right behind us?” 

“I know. I—“ And she paused, not sure of what to say. She hadn’t promised Jaune that she wouldn’t say anything, but at the same time she doubted that that information would be something he wanted broadcasted around the school. And while Pyrrha felt that she could trust Nora, she wasn’t sure how much the other girl really thought about what she was saying once she got going. She hated thinking that of her friend, which just made her more upset.

“Pyrrha, is something wrong? Did something happen? Was is Jaune? Did he do something?” Nora was in her face, concern written all over it, and possibly anticipation? Was she thinking she need to break Jaune’s legs? Had Pyrrha’s expression really suggested that things were that bad?

“No, it’s not that,” Pyrrha sighed, finally deciding on a story. “I waited for Jaune, but I guess Doctor Oobleck gave him extra reading so he went to the library to get started on that. And then I just decided to take a walk. Jaune will be back later.” 

It wasn’t much of a lie, but hopefully it would stall Nora until Pyrrha could properly think things through and come up with a better way to explain things. While Nora didn’t question Pyrrha’s response, she looked skeptical and almost determined to come back for answers.

Pyrrha could only hope that she’d be ready.

“We should head back to the dorm. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, it has. Hey! Maybe we could get Ren to make us some pancakes as a midnight snack!” 

Pyrrha smiled at the thought. Nora beamed, and began skipping her way back to the dorm, energized by the thought of the potential midnight pancakes. With her back turned, Nora would not notice that Pyrrha’s face fell, and neither would she notice the way she would look back up at the rooftop sadly, before following her friend.

Pyrrha had the feeling that Jaune wouldn’t be coming back that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so remember what I said last chapter about slow burns? It wasn't the slowest burn out there, but I like the payoff. The argument was fun to write and it's interesting getting into Pyrrha's head. 
> 
> This chapter veered rather sharply into the follow canon closely territory again, kind of hard not to with the Jaune Arc in play. However, I'm hoping that I managed to make it interesting and play with some of the different characters. I'm excited to see where I can take it and to explore some of the ramifications of it.
> 
> As always though, writing Nora is so much fun.


	7. Complications and Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How quickly they bond, how quickly they fall apart.

Before we catch up with Pyrrha in this difficult time for her and, eventually, her team, we need to, briefly, once again backtrack to Jaune.

Typically in these types of arguments, when one lands a particularly vicious barb, the one that can usually break things close to beyond repair, they regret it immediately. Truth be told, that was not the case with Jaune. Instead of instant regret, as his secrets came spilling out, he felt relieved. Certainly he knew the risks, that he might lose his friends and his spot at Beacon and the chance to achieve all his hopes and dreams, but he had been unable to stop himself and now unburdened, he felt free. Like he could take whatever came next, whatever punishments were in store for him. His secret was out and there was nothing he could do about it.

However, that feeling of weightlessness did not prepare him for the look of disappointment on Pyrrha’s face, and he might have tried to stop himself had his anger not carried him through. It also didn’t prepare him for the black pit that started welling up inside of him as she left, not turning back. 

And it certainly did not prepare him for the sudden appearance of Cardin Winchester, who climbed onto the roof with the revelation that he had heard everything. Whatever confidence Jaune had gained was quickly retreating, along with the weightless feeling. Rather, it was as if someone had increased the gravity around him.

It was at that moment that crushing realization moved in and Jaune Arc knew that he was in serious trouble.

\--

With that, we can leave Jaune to his fate for a bit, since it is largely known and check back in with Pyrrha. 

Pyrrha went back to the room with Nora, and Ren soon joined them. There was a thick layer of uncertainty in the room, and while Nora wanted to press Pyrrha on what had happened, Ren held her back. Pyrrha was grateful for that, not ready to explain what had happened between her and Jaune, even though she knew it would have to come eventually. Right now though, she wanted to get her own thoughts straight, to make some sense of the mess that things had turned into. 

She hastily grabbed a few things before heading out the door to the baths with an apology to Nora and Ren. Neither followed her, though not for lack of trying on Nora’s part. Once she was down the hall, she looked at what she’d managed to grab. Her pajamas, a hairbrush, and that was about it. It was not the most thought out escape.

“Pyrrha, are you heading to the bath as well?” 

Pyrrha turned around and saw Weiss smiling at her. It was, Pyrrha noted, a surprisingly genuine smile, and actively contrasted by the fact that Weiss was covered in mud. She hadn’t known Weiss long, but Pyrrha had got the sense that normally, such an instance would have resulted in a much more sour expression. Unless she was just happy to see a friend.

“I was, yes. What happened, if you don’t mind me asking, Weiss?” 

She wanted to get the subject off of her for a moment.

“Ruby wanted to do some training, since she’s had this idea for combination moves for us to use. We were getting the basics down, but then Ruby and Yang turned it into a mud fight. It didn’t really stop until Professor Goodwitch showed up and scolded us.”

Weiss ended the story with a heavy sigh, but at the same time she didn’t seem too frustrated by the events. She had a kind of energy about her, the kind that suggested that maybe she’d managed to have a little fun.

“It looks like you had a good time at least.” Pyrrha wished she could say the same for herself. Weiss looked away, seemingly embarrassed.

“I suppose it wasn’t all bad. I did manage to get Ruby a few times, but don’t tell anyone.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Pyrrah replied with a smile that she hoped was genuine. She was finding it difficult to drum up the energy. They walked to the baths in silence.

“Is everything alright?” Weiss finally asked. “You seem down about something, Pyrrha.” 

Pyrrha shook her head. 

“It’s nothing. Today just seemed like a long day, is all.” 

“Tell me about it. Professor Port’s lecture seemed to drag on.” 

“Well, he did go off on a few tangents.” 

Pyrrha had not expected that statement to set Weiss off on a rant, but it did and she was simply content to listen, adding a small word of agreement or encouragement here and there. The rant got them to the baths, and partway through cleaning themselves up. Weiss had been happy to share her shampoo and soap, since Pyrrha had forgotten hers in her hasty escape.

“Weiss, can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course. Whatever do you need?”

Pyrrha paused for a moment, considering the best way to word her question. Regardless of how she felt about Jaune at the moment, spilling his secret was not something she was prepared to do. So she had to phrase it in a way that would not implicate him. 

“Say you had a friend, and then one day you learned something about that friend. And it might have the power to change your opinion of them but you don’t want it, because you know they’re a good person and you want to support them. What would you do?”

Weiss was quiet for a moment, contemplating.

“This is a bit more complicated than I think it is, isn’t it?”

Pyrrha nodded, almost sadly. “Yes, it is, unfortunately. I’m sorry…it’s just, it’s been on my mind and I don’t know what to do.”

Weiss offered a sympathetic smile, but again did not answer right away. Pyrrha didn’t push her and the room descended into silence.

Eventually, as they were cleaning up their things, Weiss finally spoke.

“To be honest, Pyrrha, I’m really not sure what to say. I…I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and it’s something I’m still learning about, whether I want to or not. But I think if you’re not ready to give up on this friend, then, maybe it’s worth giving them a second chance? I think that’s what Ruby would say, at least.” 

Pyrrha, equally touched and surprised by Weiss’s honesty, smiled. She still wasn’t sure if she felt that Jaune deserved anything, but that could still be because the emotions were still raw. She would hang on to this advice, however, and return to it when, hopefully, she could think more clearly.

“Thank you, Weiss. It’s kind of new territory for both of us, but I’m glad I talked to you. It’s really helped.”

Weiss returned the smile, almost lighting up at the fact that something she said helped someone else. 

“I’m glad.”

They dead back to their rooms, both feeling like something, at least had become a little clearer.

**

Back in the room, Nora was pacing. 

Well, not so much pacing as moving around the room in an agitated manner that was not far away from bouncing off the walls. 

“I’m really worried Ren. Pyrrha seemed upset and Jaune hasn’t come back and what if something happened and we can’t work together as a team anymore and we break up and they kick us out of Beacon or they put us on another team and we don’t work well with them and what if we get broken up and –“

“Nora!” Ren said, surprisingly sharp and enough to break through Nora’s rant that she went remarkably silent. Ren’s expression softened. “It’s going to be okay. I’m sure Pyrrha and Jaune will work everything out eventually. We’re still all new to each other, so there’s going to be stuff to work out. We just need to give them some time.”

Nora nodded, visibly relaxing as Ren spoke.

“Thanks Ren. I needed that. I just really like being here and being with Pyrrha and Jaune. I don’t want to lose this.” She flopped on the bed beside him.

“We won’t.”

Ren looked like he was going to say more when the door swung open and Jaune came in, still in his uniform. He nodded at Ren and Nora before heading to his desk to collect his books.

“Jaune, where are you going? It’s…kinda late,” Ren said, glancing at the clock, then back at Jaune.

“I-I know, but I have to go to the library. Professor Oobleck gave me extra readings and an essay because I was sleeping in class and I have to get it done.”

Ren and Nora exchanged a glance. There was the sense that he hadn’t told them everything. He looked up at them again before he left, his arms full of books.

“Don’t wait up for me, I’ll probably be out all night. See you guys in class tomorrow.” He was about to leave before pausing for one more question. “You haven’t seen Pyrrha, have you?” 

“She went for a bath,” Nora replied. Jaune didn’t say anything, his expression unreadable, until he shook his head and continued out the door.

“Good night.” 

“That was weird,” said Nora and Ren couldn’t help but agree.

**

And so it went on like this for a while. Pyrrha and Jaune seemed to be avoiding each other. Unless it was class, they were rarely seen in the same room together, and conversation seemed to be out of the question outside of the odd “excuse me”. Jaune had largely stopped returning to the dorm room, outside of grabbing the odd thing.

There were times when Nora pestered Pyrrha about it, and would rant to Ren later about the cold reception that she would get to her inquiries. Ren would try in a slightly more sedate way and meet the same response. It was the same with Jaune, only more avoidant and stuttered until eventually he fled with a vague excuse.

Pyrrha hated it. 

She hated not being able to talk to Ren and Nora. They were supposed to be people she could rely on, a team, her friends. But she was scared. Scared of what would happen if she shared Jaune’s secret, both for her and Jaune. And in many way she was still mad at Jaune. After all, he was supposed to be the boy of her dreams, and she knew that he had so much potential that he wasn’t living up to. It was so frustrating, and she had no where to put that frustration outside of their combat class. And even that had to be tempered. 

It didn’t help that Jaune was being see with team CRDL on a regular basis. 

And that bothered Pyrrha more than she cared to admit. While it helped that Jaune didn’t seem to be joining in on their bullying, and that he looked suitably miserable, the fact that he was even with them just rubbed her the wrong way. It felt off, that he should be with another team, and not leading theirs. 

At least they had the field trip to the Forever Fall Forest coming up. Perhaps some time away from the school and from each other, would help. The forest was a big place after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got stuck on the Pyrrha and Weiss conversation and that's what slowed this down, but I like how it turned out. Ren and Nora as well. It's fun, writing the Jaune Arc without Jaune, or a behind the scenes to the Jaune arc.
> 
> But we'll bring it all in for the Forever Fall forest next time. I'm going to try for less of a delay next time but no promises. Adulting can take over your life and so can video games.
> 
> And because I don't say this often enough, thank you all for reading and commenting and leaving kudos and all those things. It does mean a lot <3


	8. Hand in Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to put the pieces back together

The Forever Fall forest was a unique landmark on Remnant. As the name implied, the forest was perpetually in a state of autumn, with bright red leaves constantly falling from the trees. It was hard to say what exactly caused the phenomenon, but no one could deny that it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Another advantage to the forest was that it was quite close to the City of Vale, and while the creatures of Grimm still populated it, enough huntsmen and huntresses passed through to keep the numbers down, and take care of any higher level Grimm that might also appear. 

In short, it was the perfect beginner area, and a popular spot for classes of new trainees to start learning their trade.

Pyrrha walked alongside Ren and Nora, taking in the sights. Team RWBY had joined them as well, and it had just simply been agreed that they were going to work together on this. Between the seven of them, the sap collection would be done in no time, and then they could just relax and enjoy the day. Occasionally Pyrrha would steal a look back at Jaune, who didn’t seem to be paying much attention, having been chosen (or volunteered by Cardin) to be the one to carry the supplies.

A part of her wanted to offer to help, but when she caught sight of Cardin’s sneering face, she instead went back to her team. It was petty, but she didn’t want to deal with a bully like him, and she still hadn’t resolved her feelings on the Jaune issue. They still weighed on her, but Pyrrha hoped that this field trip would allow her to take a break from them, and possibly even come to a conclusion.

Eventually they came to a halt and Professor Goodwitch explained the assignment. As the students broke off into their separate groups, Pyrrha once again turned back, and thought she caught Jaune watching them, before he headed off by Cardin, none too gently. 

“Pyrrha, come on!” Weiss called after her. “Everyone else has already left.”

“Sorry,” Pyrrha replied, with a shake of her head, “I’m coming!”

**

They found a spot among the trees to work, and everyone set about collecting the sap. It was peaceful and fun and not all that difficult once they got the hang of it. The main difficulty became fighting off Nora, who was eager to give the sweet smelling sap a try. 

Even so, Pyrrha was still having trouble enjoying the day. The sap collecting was not as distracting as she had hoped, and she couldn’t get the look that Jaune had given her out of her head. But she did what she could to put on a brave face, hoping that the energy of the others would help. 

“So, Pyrrha,” said Weiss, coming over to the tree Pyrrha was working. She spoke quietly. Everyone else was busy with their own tasks, and Yang arguing with Nora that she had taken her sap. “Have you…made any progress with that thing that was bothering you?” 

Pyrrha looked up, a bit surprised. She hadn’t really expected a follow up conversation, but she found she was also grateful for it. Talking about her problems was something that she so rarely got to do, and it was nice to have someone outside of her team that she could rely on.

But at the same time, she had to shake her head. “Unfortunately no. Every time I think about it, I end up getting stuck.”

Weiss nodded sympathetically. She looked thoughtful for a bit.

“I don’t mean this as an ultimatum or anything, but you are going to have to make a decision eventually. And I’ll support you when you do.”

“Thank you Weiss. I really appreciate that.”

**

And so the day seemed to pass without incident. 

At least until the bushes started to rustle. Everyone was immediately on their guard, reaching for their weapons, until three of the members of Team CDNL came bursting through the underbrush, and there was no deying that they’d been scared by something.

“Ursa! Ursa!” One of them was yelling until he collided with Yang. Russell, Pyrrha was fairly certain that was his name. Yang lifted him off the ground.

“What?” She demanded.

“There’s an Ursa back there!” Russell shouted, panic in his voice. “It’s got Cardin!” 

Yang dropped him and he took off. It was hard to say if he was going to find Professor Goodwitch or just trying to get away. There was a silence as the teams looked at each other and then Ruby took charge.

“Blake, Yang, you two go get Professor Goodwitch! Weiss, you’re with me,” She shouted, turning in the direction that Team CDNL had come from. Pyrrha looked to Ren and Nora.

“You two, go with them.”

They nodded and headed off after Blake and Yang. Pyrrha turned to follow Weiss and Ruby, as scythe, rapier, and sword and shield came out. They didn’t have to go far. Eventually they came across the clearing and the scenario was clear. Cardin had been knocked down and the Ursa was sniffing around him, obviously curious. 

Pyrrha was surprised by how calm she was, given the scenario. There was no denying that the Ursa was big, but compared to the Nevermore and the Deathstalker, it actually seemed manageable. One person could probably take it on with very few problems. And to her surprise, that one person was Jaune. 

Pyrrha heard a clack beside her and saw that Ruby had raised her weapon and Pyrrha put her hand out to stop her. She turned her attention back to Jaune. He had his shield up and his sword raised. He was awkward certainly, and his movements were rough and not causing as much damage as they could. But in the moment, he was doing everything right.

He was checking his aura, he was keeping his guard up, he was defending Cardin Winchester, of all people. Pyrrha couldn’t help but smile. This was the Jaune she had been waiting to see.

There was a gasp from Ruby. Jaune had charged in and the Ursa had begun to swing down. Jaune’s shield was too low, however, and the Ursa would easily swipe him down. Pyrrha smiled for a second time, and held out her hand. He’d been doing well, but everyone needed some help from time to time. A black glow surrounded her, and she pulled Jaune’s shield up, allowing him to block the strike. With a mighty swing, Jaune’s blade cut through the thick neck of the Ursa, and it collapsed to the ground in a swirl of red and black dust.

“How did you do that?” Ruby asked, unable to contain her excitement. Pyrrha looked equally bashful and proud.

“Well, you have your speed, Weiss has her glyphs. My semblance is polarity.”

“You can control poles?!” 

“No you Dunce. She means magnatism!” Weiss responded, rolling her eyes but also managing to give Pyrrha a look of understanding. Pyrrha smiled, turning to go as she heard Ruby mumble “magnets are cool to.”

She felt better. Lighter than she had for a long while. It felt good.

**

Pyrrha was not surprised to find Jaune on the roof that night. 

It was a good thinking spot after all. Quiet and away from the busyness of the school. Not a place like the library or the cafeteria, where it was expected that you would study or eat or both. Up here you could look out at the city and think.

At the same time, however, Pyrrha felt done with that. She’d been thinking almost too much over the past few days and was surprised by how it wore you out. Thankfully, now all she had to do was act. 

“No Cardin tonight?” she asked, as she approached Jaune. “I thought you two were best buds?” 

It was meant as a joke but Jaune didn’t laugh. Instead, he just looked remoresful.

“Pyrrha,” He said, almost sadly. Apologetically. “I’m sorry. I said a lot of things, and I was a jerk, and I had this ridiculous macho idea going and…”

“Jaune, it’s okay,” Pyrrha replied, cutting him off. For the first time in what felt like a long while, they shared a smile. “Your team really misses their leader, you know.”

Jaune nodded, but didn’t move. Pyrrha nodded, before turning to go back down, feeling that it was enough for now. There would be time to talk later. “You should come down soon. Ren made pancakes! No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that—“

“Pyrhha, wait!”

Pyrrha stopped, turning to look over her shoulder. Jaune wasn’t looking at her, but rather at the roof, before he finally took a breath.

“Would you…I want to be a better fighter. Will you help me with that?” 

Pyrrha turned to face the door, as if considering before she turned around, walked right up to Jaune and shoved him. Not expecting anything, he toppled back onto the roof with an small “oof!”

“Your stance is wrong,” she said, looking down at him. “You need to be wider and lower to the ground.” 

Jaune nodded, accepting the hand that she reached out to him to pull him up. They stood there for a moment, not quite letting go.

**

Her hand was warm. That was the first thing Jaune noticed. It was warm and slightly calloused and fit pretty well in his hand. But then, it always had. In that moment there were so many things he wanted to say. About their reunion, about how he’s missed her, about the tournaments he’d seen and the cereal boxes he collected. 

Instead all he managed was a small laugh.

“My hand’s still bigger than yours,” he said.

**

She liked the feeling of her hand in his. It was cool from him standing outside, and smooth though she could feel calluses starting to form. Slowly but surely. It was nice to have a hand to hold, especially one of an old friend. She laughed at his comment and shifted her hand until they were palm to palm.

“Looks like it. For now anyway.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Pyrrha just laughed and headed back to the dorm. Jaune followed, enjoying the scent of pancakes and the feeling that he had just come home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know about you guys but I'm thinking next time, it might be time to start looking at the backstory of Pyrrha and Jaune? That sound good to you? Because it sounds good to me.
> 
> Kind of strayed close to canon in these chapters again, but I did my best not to reiterate it. Hopefully it worked. We have a wonderful blank canvas ahead of next so that will be fun.
> 
> In the likely event that this fic doesn't get updated before the premiere of Volume 5, Happy Volume 5! Who's hyped?!
> 
> And as always, thank you all for reading and reviewing and kudoing. It's always appreciated. 
> 
> Until next time!


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